7 ms·
There is a perhaps a trend of local payment means being less accessible to tourists. I haven't experienced it first hand but WeChat/Alipay are in the same boat
by makeitdouble 20d ago
There is a perhaps a trend of local payment means being less accessible to tourists. I haven't experienced it first hand but WeChat/Alipay are in the same boat as I understand, and PromptPay in Indonesia can be somewhat be used but needs preparation before making the trip.
Now, if you're not a tourist passing by for 3 days, Suica has most of your gripes solved and is an incredibly useful general payment mean. I use the Felica version on my phone (so no card), charge it with 3 taps in the app from my credit card, could have it auto charge if I really wanted to and is my payment choice wherever QR codes or QuickPay won't cut it.
BTW you can now use your credit card to ride JR trains.
- philipwhiuk 20d ago> There is a perhaps a trend of local payment means being less accessible to tourists. It's because you want to price differentiate tourists and local people. Tourists will pay more for travel than your electorate.
- makeitdouble 19d agoCould be part of it. Another angle is payment processors longing for stronger KYC. Felica is bound to a phone with a carrier on a national network, which basically guarantees full traceability of the user. Same for WeChat. PromptPay also binds to a bank account, so again it can be tracked at a gov. level.
- fendy3002 19d agoothers have said KYC but the main reason is to keep the local currency flow domestically and to prevent money laundering.